Monday, October 22, 2007Some Cod Recovery in North Sea XPENSIVE The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is expected to say there has been a slight recovery in cod stocks in some areas. But the scientists are continuing to advise that stock catches should be constrained in years to come. The council coordinates and promotes marine research in the north Atlantic. Each year, ICES publishes its advice on commercial fish stocks in advance of the EU meeting in December where fish quotas for European countries are determined. Stop fishing North Sea cod stocks have declined severely since the late 1990s, and in the past the scientific advice has been to stop fishing for cod entirely. Researchers say where fisheries have been closed, there are signs of a slight recovery. But, they say, it is not yet enough, and these young fish need the opportunity to grow and reproduce so they can contribute to the restoration of this important fish stock. Scottish fishermen's leaders say the report contains '"much encouraging news" for the industry. Martin Pastoors, chairman of ICES' fishery management advisory committee, said: "Our scientific surveys show that the number of young fish has increased, although to only half of the long-term average. – BBC Shark Tank Dance Floor Worries ActivistsAUSTIN, Texas — Some animal rights activists want changes to a new Austin club that features sharks and other fish in a tank under the clear dance floor. The Qua (KWAH) Bottle Lounge has a 19,000-gallon aquarium. Critics say the conditions aren't safe for the sharks and stingrays -- and the fish should be moved to a more suitable environment. But lounge officials deny mistreatment of the animals. Qua managers say they've taking every precaution to fully care for and protect the fish. Systems have been installed to deflect, deaden and eliminate sound waves from reaching the water. The management also says testing was done and the sharks weren't affected by the bar's lighting system. – Houston Chronicle Source of Puffer Fish Important Many puffer fish -- also known as fugu, bok, blowfish, globefish, swellfish, balloonfish or sea squab -- contain deadly toxins that affect the central nervous system, if consumed. Puffer fish can only be safely eaten when special care is taken to ensure the fish are free of toxins, or when they are processed to eliminate the toxins, the FDA said. The federal agency said the only safe sources for imported puffer fish are fish that have been processed and prepared by specially trained and certified fish cutters in Shimonoseki, Japan. Additionally, puffer fish caught in the mid-Atlantic coastal waters of the United States, typically between Virginia and New York, are also safe to consume. However, the FDA said puffer fish caught off the east coast of Florida shouldn't be eaten because the entire fish is potentially toxic. Officials urged consumers to ask about the origin of the fish before ordering or buying and, in cases where the source is uncertain or unknown, consumers shouldn't purchase or eat the puffer fish. – UPI Food Critic Pays Ultimate Price SAN ANTONIO, Texas-- A Texas man allegedly killed a longtime acquaintance because he was tired of being teased -- with the last incident an insult to his fish soup. <<<•>>>Tuesday, October 23, 2007Mercury Scares Do More Harm than GoodXPENSIVE Official warnings about mercury in seafood were doing more harm than good, according to scientists at the World Seafood Congress. “Congress delegates confirmed the major outstanding public health question is whether low intakes from normal background levels of methylmercury in fish are causing subtle neuro-developmental effects that warrant the current modes of risk management action, mindful of the growing body of evidence of the benefits of seafood consumption. Tuna That Travels in the Best CirclesCanned tuna has become a kitchen staple with considerable baggage. Issues like fishing practices and mercury, fat and sodium content confront a shopper long before the mayo hits the fish. But now there is tuna from small, family-run companies that ply the Pacific, mostly off northern California, Oregon and Washington, and catch the fish using rods with unbarbed hooks, not vast nets, so there is no unwanted “by-catch.” Until recently, the companies shipped most of their tuna to Spain for fancy canned tuna, or to Japan’s sushi bars. Now, some of the catch is being canned for the American market. The tuna, sold under the name American Tuna, has been approved by the Marine Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit organization, for its fishing methods, and as a testament to its flavor, is used for sandwiches at ’wichcraft, Bouchon Bakery and the cafe at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The canning process keeps in flavor and natural fish oils containing omega-3 fatty acids. The fish are flash-frozen on the boats, then cooked only once before canning. Most commercial tuna is cooked up to three times, then packed with water or soybean oil to replace the natural juices, often with phosphates, too. The fish have relatively low levels of mercury (a median of .177 parts per million, lower than the federal limit of .35), as shown in tests by Oregon State University. – New York Times <<<•>>> Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Feds Deny New England Fishery FailureXPENSIVE PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Beset by rising costs and tough laws, New England’s fishermen suffered a setback when the federal government denied a request from the region’s governors for financial aid. The governors of Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts had asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to declare the region a fishing “resource disaster,” the first step in obtaining federal money. The governors blame tightening regulations on a decade-long industry decline. But William T. Hogarth, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Service, said that “after a lot of review … there is no commercial fishery failure” in New England. “We understand New England groundfishermen have experienced some economic difficulty, but there is reason to believe we are turning a corner,” Hogarth said. Most groundfish stocks are rebounding and fishing revenues are up in some states, he said. Governor Carcieri, who painted a different picture of the industry, said yesterday he was “disappointed” in NOAA’s decision. From 1994 to 2006, Rhode Island’s groundfish landings declined 66 percent, he said. According to a 2005 report, 14 of the region’s 18 groundfish stocks are rebuilding, including cod and Georges Bank haddock and yellowtail flounder, NOAA said. In Rhode Island, groundfish revenue increased by 73 percent from 2005 to 2006 — from $2.4 million to $4.2 million. The jump came in part from an increase in fish prices, said NOAA spokeswoman Monica Allen. The higher prices come at a time when operating costs for fishermen — fuel, insurance and repairs — are soaring too. And the rebound in fishing stock won’t translate into more relaxed regulations for fishermen. Easing up on the laws “would mean we would lose ground,” in the fight to restore fish stocks, said NOAA’s Allen. The agency is in the middle of a 10-year rebuilding program, she said, adding, “We’ll never see the number of fishing vessels or the fishing effort” that marked the 1980s and early 1990s, the industry’s boom years. From 1994 to last year, Rhode Island’s groundfish revenues experienced a steep decline. Last year, prices climbed in response to the low supply, Carcieri said. Rising prices notwithstanding, current revenue is 33 percent below 1994 levels, he said. Carcieri also noted that the National Marine Fisheries Service has reduced the monkfish fishery to 12 days a year. Catch reductions are also planned for whiting and skate, he said. These actions will leave vessels with few options, dealers without fish, and dockside companies without business, he said. - Providence Journal, RI First Nations Eye Chinese Fish MarketWINNIPEG, Manitoba - First Nations in Manitoba are working to create a new industry selling "rough fish" such as carp and mullet to consumers in China. Native leaders in Manitoba are meeting over the next few weeks with John Du, a senior government official from Beijing, about the potential for fish exports. "We need fish. The Chinese eat fish every day. It's not a luxury thing," said Eva Luk, Du's translator, at a reception in Winnipeg last week. The demand for fish in China is ever-increasing as the country struggles with contamination of freshwater stocks and a decrease in fish farms, Luk said. There is already some market for the rough fish, so fishers are already catching them — but not on the scale suggested in the Chinese concept. Morris Shannacappo, head of the Southern Chiefs Organization, said several reserves have expressed interest in establishing a fishing industry aimed specifically at the Chinese market. "In discussion with a lot of the fishers from our communities, there is no market for the rough fish," he said. "I would say we've found a market. It's just making it a sustainable development." Mervin Lynx, chief of Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve (Valley River), near Dauphin, Man., said a local fishing industry could help solve a serious unemployment problem on the reserve. "We have no business in our community, absolutely nothing at all," Lynx said. The Chinese government is close to reaching a deal with First Nations, Luk said. Some aboriginal leaders said they will need financial help from the federal and provincial governments if they are to set up an entirely new industry. Provincial officials said they hadn't seen a proposal on the matter yet, but added the provincial government generally supports First Nations economic ventures when possible. – CBC, Canada Airline Apologizes to Family Over Fish United Airlines offered its apology to a Columbus, OH family who said they were humiliated for eating fish onboard a flight Friday. "As you can see, I wear these holy fringes. I wear a kepa. My son wears a kepa," Robert Blum said, according to WBNS-10. "And maybe that's what the steward saw. And I am sure it was. Because why did he single us out?" The Blums were eating a kosher meal they purchased at a restaurant before boarding the United Airlines flight from Denver to Columbus, when a flight attendant asked the family to quit eating. "He said, 'I don't want you eating that food on the plane,'" Blum said of a flight attendant, who told him passengers were complaining about the smell of the fish. "He said, 'I don't want the food on the plane. If you don't trash the food, I'll trash you. You'll get off the plane, you and your wife and your kids,'" said Blum. Blum said the pilot harassed him about the food as well. "The pilot says to me, 'are you going to give us any more trouble because I have to worry about 220 passengers smelling your stinking food?'" Blum contended. The confrontation created a scene on the plane forcing Blum to throw the food away when the pilot threatened to throw the family off the plane. After begging to stay on board, food in the trash, his nine-year-old daughter starting crying as other passengers looked on. "I was about to cry simply because of seeing my kids like that. It was terrible." Blum calls the incident a classic case of discrimination. "What can they do? They going to give me a free ticket to Hawaii? That won't take away the humiliation and pain of watching my children suffer and the embarrassment we all felt." United Airlines apologized to the family, admitting flight crew acted inappropriately. Aero-News Network, FL 80 Percent of Illegal Russian Catch Exported MOSCOW- A total of 80% of all fish illegally caught in Russia is exported to foreign countries, a deputy prosecutor general said on Monday. "Some 80% of the catch is sent without passing customs control to neighboring states," Yury Gulyagin said. He said the Criminal Code needed to be changed to strengthen responsibility for ecological crimes, adding that according to estimates, in 2006, 80 fishing vessels made illegal catches worth over 900 million rubles ($36 million). And in the last two years a total of 7 million tons of seafood worth 230 million rubles ($9.2 million) have been seized in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, Gulyagin said. In July the Russian coast guard detained two North Korean commercial vessels for violating Russian territorial waters and poaching, and a border service spokesperson said at the time: "Since the start of the year over 80 border incidents have been recorded involving commercial fishing vessels from North Korea whose sole reason for being in Russian territorial waters was commercial fishing." A court in Russia's Far East fined a Japanese captain of a trawler 300,000 rubles ($11,700) for poaching in September 2007, and in August 2006 a crew member on a Japanese ship was shot dead by Russian coast guards near the Kuril Islands off Russia's Pacific Coast. In addition, several Cambodian vessels have been detained in the Sea of Okhotsk. In January some 25 metric tons of crab were discovered by Russian coast guards, and in April, 13 metric tons of crab were found on board another Cambodian fishing vessel. - RIA Novosti, Russia Trader Joe's Says No to Food from China CHICAGO - Trader Joe's, the hip, wholesome food store with 15 locations in the Chicago area, said Friday it will phase out foods imported from China amid concerns that standards on "organic" products from the country aren't as stringent as they should be. Alison Mochizuki, spokeswoman for the Monrovia, Calif.-based grocer, e-mailed a statement saying the grocer will phase out single-ingredient products from Mainland China by Jan. 1. "We feel confident that all of our products from China meet the same high quality standards that we set for all of our products," the statement read. "However, our customers have voiced their concerns about products from this region and we have listened. "We will continue to source products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products." Trader Joe's is owned by German billionaires Karl and Theo Albrecht, who also own the Aldi food chain. The change apparently does not affect products containing multiple ingredients, of which some may be from China. Mochizuki declined to comment further. Whole Foods has no plans to stop selling single-ingredient products from China, which make up 'a very small percentage' of the grocer's private label products, spokeswoman Kate Klotz said in a prepared statement. The company has processes in place to ensure quality, she said. Trader Joe's move follows criticism of what's perceived as gaps in the system for verifying organic imports. China has been faced with a number of exporting scandals recently. In addition to lead-laden kiddie jewelry and toys, Chinese manufacturers have been blamed for selling pet food tainted with the industrial chemical melamine and for exporting contaminated toothpaste. China also famously exports counterfeit consumer goods, from fake designer handbags to phony computer software. – Chicago Sun-Times <<<•>>>
Thursday, October 25, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Is Alaska fish safe to eat? The Department of Environmental Health has been working to answer that question. New guidelines have been released in an effort to reduce mercury consumption. The new dietary guidelines are aimed at a portion of the population labeled as a "sensitive group" by health officials, and were created to help those people reduce their mercury intake. The group includes women who are pregnant or may become pregnant as well as children ages 12 and under. The fishing industry in Alaska is known worldwide for its salmon and halibut, but Dr. Bob Gerlach with the Department of Environmental Conservation said mercury fears in Lower 48 fish has left many fish consumers here worried about whether or not state fisheries are safe. Gerlach studied fish from Alaska's waters over a five-year period from 2001 to 2006, testing 2,300 fish and 23 different species. The consensus that emerged from the report is that all fish contain some level of mercury, but most species had very low amounts and are safe to eat on a daily basis. "We've got a large number of species that people can eat with unlimited consumption, which is great news," Gerlach said. Wild Alaska salmon and halibut under 20 pounds are just two examples of safe species, according to the report. Commercially-caught halibut weigh an average of about 33 pounds, making halibut purchased from stores or restaurants safe for this group to eat up to four times a week. Only five species of sport-caught Alaska fish had high enough mercury levels to warrant limiting consumption to two meals or less per week for women and children. Those include yellow-eye rockfish, large lingcod and large halibut. - KTUU, Anchorage Conservation Group Says Lay Off CodFishermen must not be allowed to launch an all-out assault on cod stocks because of signs of apparent recovery of the species in the North Sea, a conservation grouping stressed today. Responding to new research from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) which suggests that North Sea cod stocks are beginning to recover, Oliver Knowles, Oceans campaigner at Greenpeace said: "It would a disaster for North Sea cod if the fishing industry took this news as an excuse to return to the devastating fishing levels we've seen in the past. In order to protect cod stocks for the long term, politicians need to act with the greatest possible caution on these new figures." He went on: "For years the fishing industry has tried to blame the decline of cod stocks on everything from seals to warming seas, or anything else that avoids the real issue. After several years of a reduced fishing effort what this small recovery clearly demonstrates is that the real cause of the problem is, and always has been, overfishing." For the past seven years, ICES has recommended a zero catch for cod in the North Sea, as stocks were too depleted to be able to be fished sustainably. Fish Update, UK Fish Farms Promoted in Uganda KAMPALA, Uganda – As the number of fish in Lake Victoria continues to dwindle, Ugandans can now start thinking of making a fortune from fish farming. According to fishermen and fisheries authorities, all the major fish species; Nile perch and the tilapia are getting slimmer. Fish prices on the local markets have gone up drastically. Fish is mainly got from five large lakes; Victoria, Kyoga, Albert, Edward and George. Fish farming or aquaculture, if taken seriously, can reduce the pressure on the lakes. Several efforts are being made to promote fish farming in the country. The Government, non-governmental organizations and international bodies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have helped set up fish farms in Arua, Koboko, Lira and Gulu districts. Individuals have also set up ponds across the country. The species reared include tilapia, mirror cup and cat fish. However, these efforts are yet to develop into fully fledged commercial fish farming. There is still very little awareness about fish farming across the country. According to Dr Lucas Ndawula, the deputy director of National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NAFIRRI), this lack of awareness mars the benefits of an otherwise profitable sector. Ndawula says the aquaculture sector is also affected by the lack of quality fish breeds. Many farmers across the country find problems getting quality fish fries. Digo Tugumisirize, one of the leading fish farmers in the country says he approached Kajjansi fisheries for fish fries and they could only provide 1,000," he says. Tugumisirize owns Sunfish Farms Ltd, a vast fish farm near Kajjansi. Limited access to credit for fish farmers is another problem that has forced fish farming to lag behind. "Very few financial institutions are willing to lend money to fish farmers because of uncertainty on the outcome of the business," Ndawula explains. Yet, these limitations aside, fish farming can be practiced on a piece of land that may not be suitable for other types of work. The land should be flat, with a dependable water source. The overall expense includes hiring people or a tractor to dig the ponds and then buying the fish fries. Fish farmers have got several groups, including Walimi Fish Cooperative Society Limited (WAFICOS). In this group membership is ordinary and open to all stake holders. According to WAFICOS official, Tom Musoke, although ponds are being created in large numbers across the country, many of them are still used for domestic fish consumption. "The task now is to bring them up to a level where they can produce fish for the markets," Musoke says. - AllAfrica.com Stone-Crabbers Optimistic About Season MARATHON, Fla. - Another slow hurricane season in Florida had commercial fishermen enthusiastic about the potential for a productive stone-crab season when the annual harvest opened last week. Stone crab fishermen struggled in 2004 and 2005, when busy hurricane seasons in Florida reduced the available amount of the crustaceans, prized for their tasty claws. But the past two seasons have been much less active, a positive sign for commercial fishermen. "It's going to make it good for the consumer, too, because crabs should be more plentiful, and more-plentiful crabs usually means a little better pricing," said Gary Graves, vice president of Keys Fisheries in Marathon. Graves estimates opening retail fish-market prices for medium crab claws should be around $12 per pound. Large claws should run about $16. The state's commercial fishermen were so devastated after eight hurricanes affected Florida in 2004 and 2005 that state officials waived their trap-certificate fees last year. Fees have been reinstated this year, and Graves says the vast majority of the state's fishermen are back in their industry. Last year, fishermen in Florida harvested 2.4 million pounds of stone crabs, up from 2.2 million pounds in 2005. The 2005 harvest was the lowest since 1986, when the state began requiring reports from all commercial landings. The season runs through May 15. The Florida Keys usually account for 40 percent of the state's annual stone-crab claw harvest. Stone crabs are a renewable commercial-fishing resource. As long as they are of legal size, both claws can be snapped off before the crab is returned to the water to grow new extremities. – Orlando Sentinel, Florida <<<•>>>
Friday, October 26, 2007
Albuquerque, New Mexico - Although the deal closed almost two months ago, the Federal Trade Commission revived its fight against Whole Foods Market's acquisition of Wild Oats on antitrust grounds. In a motion filed on Oct. 22 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the FTC seeks to preserve its appeal of a lower court's ruling that allowed the $565 million deal between Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Wild Oats to proceed. Whole Foods operates two stores in New Mexico in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Wild Oats operates three stores in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe. A federal district court in August rejected a FTC request for a preliminary injunction, but in the latest motion the FTC says the acquisition can still be stopped while Whole Foods continues to operate its Wild Oats assets separately. Whole Foods has said the integration of Wild Oats may take up to two years. "It is that integration that the [FTC] seeks to prevent in this action," according to the motion. "Maintaining the current status quo would preserve, to the greatest extent possible, that opportunity for meaningful relief." The appellate court could stop the companies from combining operations pending a full review in a separate administrative court proceeding. Whole Foods closed its acquisition of Boulder, Colo.-based Wild Oats on Aug. 28. The combined companies own more than 250 stores and have annual revenues exceeding $6.5 billion. – New Mexico Business JournalNew England Fishermen Can't Catch a BreakGLOUCESTER, Mass. - Local fishermen can't catch cod, flounder and other prized groundfish because stocks of those fish are depleted. Glow-in-the-Dark Seafood SEATTLE – It sounds like a Halloween joke. A pile of brightly glowing cooked shrimp sitting on the counter in a darkened kitchen. But Randall Peters doesn't see the humor in it. He bought the shrimp last week from the West Seattle Thriftway. He ate some that evening and returned to the kitchen a few minutes later. "It was like a bright eerie light was shining on it," said Peters, who works for a natural food store. "I thought that maybe it had been overirradiated, you know, too much radiation. Now, whenever I buy seafood, I take it home and turn out the lights." Another batch of glowing shrimp apparently was bought at a Quality Food Center in Wallingford. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was not going to investigate the Seattle episodes because no "official, through-the-proper-channels" report was made. "Further," a spokeswoman added, "it's not a food safety issue because no one got sick." Andy Richards, manager of the seafood department at the Thriftway, calls the glowing shrimp "creepy." He said he took Peters' report seriously but believes it's an isolated incident and doesn't present a health hazard. A caller who identified herself only as Barbara told the Seattle P-I on Monday that she had given some cooked shrimp she bought at the QFC in Wallingford to her three "very large" cats Sunday night as a "birthday treat." An hour later, she saw a greenish-blue glow coming from the cat bowl on the darkened porch. When she turned on the light, she found the six shrimp untouched. Her porky cats, which she said "would eat your leg off if you stood in one place long enough," didn't touch them. She pulled open the refrigerator door. The light bulb had burned out weeks ago, she said, but the plastic bag holding the remaining shrimp glowed brightly in the chilled darkness. Neither Peters nor Barbara, who also ate some of the shrimp, said they were made ill, just a bit queasy at the idea of consuming the glowing seafood. "I wouldn't hesitate to eat the stuff," said Dr. Bill Robertson of the Washington Poison Center, when asked about the safety of consuming the glowing food. "I don't know any studies that show it's hazardous, but I also can't envision anyone spending the money to do the costly tests to prove it's safe." Fortunately, the FDA's Seafood Product Research Center is in Bothell. Unfortunately, it hasn't done anything on glowing seafood for almost a decade, said the center's spokeswoman, who declined to permit any of the scientists to discuss the topic. The spokeswoman said the only research into luminescent bacteria or phosphorescing phytoplankton in seafood was begun about 20 years ago by Patricia Sado, an FDA microbiologist. Sado's study, which was published in 1998, examined reports of glowing seafood in the mid-1990s to health departments, poison centers and FDA offices across the country. The products involved were imitation crabmeat, lobster and shrimp, herring, sardines and the always mysterious seafood salads. Sometimes all that was left were the glowing plastic foam trays or empty wrappers. Fresh, uncooked fish also were reported as glowing in the dark. A team of Environmental Protection Agency investigators evaluating the pollution of the Columbia River near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation were stopped by members of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. They had 200 to 300 pounds of brightly glowing fish -- whole king salmon they planned to use in a ceremony. They were afraid to eat it because they believed the fish were radioactive, Sado reported. The analysis found the salmon -- skin, intestine and gills -- heavily contaminated with a bacterium called Photobacterium phosphoreum. The ailments most often reported by Sado were headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and diarrhea -- symptoms similar to most food poisonings. However, many of her case studies -- like Peters and Barbara -- reported no health problems. "Boiling the shrimp would have killed the P. phosphoreum, so the contamination probably happened after cooking," Sado said. "Somewhere, either in the grocery that sold the product or the plant where the cooked shrimp were packed, contamination from uncooked seafood had to get on the shrimp. This could present a problem." The shrimp from the two stores were supplied by Ocean Beauty Seafood. "We've spoken to the folks at Thriftway and QFC and are addressing their concerns," said Jim Yonkers, director of corporate quality assurance for the Seattle-based seafood company, the largest in the Pacific Northwest. – Seattle Post-Intelligencer |